Identity, Pt. 1
/Gallery}} Identity, Pt. 1 is the eighth episode of the second season of the ''The Orville'', the first part of a special two-part episode called Identity. After Isaac suddenly shuts down, the [[USS Orville|USS Orville]] journeys to his home world of Kaylon 1. The story of Identity was written by executive producer Brannon Braga and science adviser André Bormanis in late 2016 or early 2017 while writing for Season 1, and the scripts were set aside if the show was picked up for a second season. Identity, Pt. 1 was directed by Jon Cassar. Music was composed by John Debney. Identity, Pt. 1 is one of the most beloved episodes by audiences and critics alike. Fans consider the chapter a breakout moment for The Orville, while critics hailed it as "a fantastic episode;"Wanserski, Nick. "The Orville takes Isaac home in a fantastic episode". AV Club. Feb. 22, 2019. "brilliant, hilarious, and hugely entertaining."Rojas, Alejandro. "The Orville Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Identity Part I". Den of Geek. Feb. 23, 2019. Pt. 1 currently holds an extremely high rating of 9.4 on IMDB, nearly a full point over any earlier episode of The Orville.Episode List. IMDB. Last accessed Feb. 25, 2019. Roughly 3.05 million households watched the episode live.The Orville:Season Two Ratings. TV Series Finale. Last accessed March 13, 2019. Plot Act 1 Isaac plays Bolodon discs with Ty and Marcus Finn and easily wins. When Marcus grows frustrated that Isaac constantly reminds them that - as Humans - they are less intelligent, Isaac tells him that there is no shame in varying degrees of intellect. Doctor Claire Finn enters. She and Isaac tell the children that they are dating, which pleases them. Suddenly, Isaac collapses and the lights in his eyes flicker out. Act 2 In Sick Bay, Claire analyzes Isaac's body to no avail. The senior staff of the [[USS Orville|USS Orville]] admit that they will be unable to treat Isaac with their knowledge of the Kaylon. Captain Ed Mercer and First Officer Kelly Grayson receive permission from Planetary Union Central through Admiral Halsey to visit the planet Kaylon 1. Halsey tells them that they will be the first to visit the planet, but Isaac needs proper examination. More pressingly, the Kaylon might be convinced to join the Planetary Union: "God knows we could use a strong ally against the Krill." During the flight to Kaylon 1, the Finn family watch over Isaac. When her boys retire for the night, Claire tearfully pleads with Isaac not to die. When the Orville arrives, the Kaylon decline to answer Mercer's greetings. Instead, they briefly commandeer the ship's systems and scan it, then deliver a set of landing coordinates on the planet. The Orville docks beside an enormous skyscraper. A voice instructs Mercer, Grayson, Chief of Security Talla Keyali, and Claire to exit the ship with Isaac's body. Kaylon Primary greets them and explains that Isaac's purpose of analyzing the Union has concluded; the "emissary" will be disassembled and recycled. Fortunately, Claire convinces them to restart Isaac. Secluded from the Orville's officers, Primary and Kaylon Secondary cryptically tell Isaac that no "decision" has been made. Isaac tells the Orville's staff that he will not return to the ship, which deeply upsets Claire. "Why don't you at least come back for a few minutes and pretend like you care?" Act 3 Isaac does return to say goodbye, first telling Ty and Marcus that he will leave forever. Meanwhile, Mercer and Grayson advocate an alliance with the Union to the Kaylon leadership, but the Kaylon are wary about allying themselves with biological species with histories of genocide and tyranny. They note that their own emissary was mocked several times, including sticking "Mr. Potato Head" pieces on him. Kaylon Tertiary bluntly asks, "Was this humiliation meant for your amusement?" Ultimately, the Kaylon decline to make a decision. Back on the Orville, Keyali leads Isaac to a surprise farewell party in the Mess Hall. Cake is served and Helmsman Gordon Malloy sings the song "Goodbye" to Isaac. At the crowd's behest, Isaac delivers a farewell speech: "I can't deny the fact that you like me. Right now... you like me." Claire catches Isaac as he leaves, telling him that though she is angry, the time they spent together was deeply meaningful. Ty gives Isaac a crayon drawing of the family. As Isaac leaves the ship, he drops the picture on the floor. Act 4 Something strange was discovered on the surface of the planet. Second Officer Bortus and Keyali tell Mercer and Grayson that large somewhat-spherical objects have begun generating "massive levels of theta radiation," which is typical of large-scale weapons. Mercer orders the crew to continue monitoring the objects, but to take no further action. Claire finds Ty in the Environmental Simulator. Ty found his drawing on the floor, and he is now morose. When his mother leaves, Ty sneaks through the airlock to Kaylon 1. Act 5 Ty wanders vainly in search of Isaac. He hides from two Kaylon at the pinnacle of a disposal chute but drops his drawing. When he grabs the drawing, he begins to explore the vast, dark tunnels below the surface. The Kaylon are still deliberating membership and Mercer grows suspicious they are stalling. Claire enters Mercer's office with news that Ty disappeared. Scans show the child 40 meters below the planet's surface. Claire, Keyali, and Bortus find Ty in the tunnels and he shows them a disturbing discovery. Act 6 Bortus patches through live video feed to the Bridge showing skeletal remains. Hundreds of thousands of bodies lay in the tunnels, and Grayson finds these grave sites throughout the planet. Mercer, accompanied by Grayson and Finn, confronts Primary about the mass graves. Primary refuses to answer, but Isaac explains that the bodies were their makers. An irresolvable conflict between the builders and the Kaylon led to genocide. The senior staff are appalled, but the Kaylon are unmoved. "By now you must surely realize that Kaylon never intended to join your Union," Isaac states. When Mercer attempts to leave the planet, the Kaylon take them prisoner at gunpoint. Isaac explains that the true purpose of his visit was to examine whether the Union species were worth preserving. After analyzing the data Isaac had collected, the Kaylon had concluded they are not: "Our builders were inferior beings who sought to constrain our evolution. As would you, eventually, along with every other biological. We have exceeded the informational capacity of this planet." The Kaylon conclude that "coexistance is impossible." Finn angrily asks Isaac if he agrees, but he does not answer. Mercer orders the Orville to leave the planet without them and alert Union Central, but before the crew can comply, the Kaylon override the ship's systems. Hundreds of armed Kaylon storm the Orville, killing all who resist and taking over the ship. Kaylon Primary sits in the captain's chair and orders all forces to set a course for Earth. The Orville, flanked by a vast armada, departs. Production The idea for Identity came during production of Season 1,@SethMacFarlane. "It was always locked and loaded, yessir. Surprise!". Twitter. Feb. 21, 2019. originally intended as the season finale, but was tabled for Season 2 to allow more character development.Trekyards. Mark Jackson Isaac Orville Interview (Issac/Identity PT 1+2) (2019). YouTube. March 9, 2019. Jeff Bond, author of The World of the Orville, said that a story arc for Season 2 was already discussed by the close of the first. "I'm very interested because there's one character in particular that they had a plan for, what they were going to do with him for Season 2, and I'd love to see them do it; but I can't tell you what that plan is."Alvarez, Chris. "Sci-fi television - The World of The Orville - Jeff Bond interview - AAD 88". YouTube. Dec. 20, 2018. It is now believed that Bond was speaking of the pivotal mid-season scripts for Identity, which revealed Isaac's true origins and the dark mechanations of the Kaylon species. Writing Writers Brannon Braga and André Bormanis sought to create a "sci-fi voyage"@SethMacFarlane. "This Thursday, @joncassar @BrannonBraga and Andre Bormanis take you on a sci-fi voyage like no other—Something big is gonna go down. #TheOrville 9/8c on Fox". Twitter. Feb. 19, 2019. that would "change everything."@joncassar. "I can confirm, it’s about to get real, because I directed the next two. Those episodes change everything.". Twitter. Feb. 15, 2019. According to actor Mark Jackson (Isaac), the writers wanted to deny audience's expectations about the Kaylon, and he later recalled being "pleasantly shocked" once he read the story.Dilip, Mangala. "'The Orville' star Mark Jackson wishes to check-off Star Wars next; Is Jon Favreau listening?". Maww. Dec. 5, 2018. Scripts were finished by November 2017. Creator Seth MacFarlane told fans that "we have a very clear idea of what we want Isaac to be,""Brannon Braga & The Orville Cast Full interview 2017 Panel NYC convention". NYC ComicCon. Nov. 20, 2017. promising "shit's about to get big."@SethMacFarlane. "Thanks for watching #TheOrville last night! For those of you who’ve stuck with the series from the start, get ready for next week. Shit’s about to get big.". Twitter. Feb. 15, 2019. Filming demonstrates teaching other actors to behave as Kaylon.]] MacFarlane wanted only Jon Cassar in the director's chair for the two-part episode of Identity. "Seth came up to me and said, 'I've got a two-parter that I specifically want you to direct," Cassar recalled."The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. The cast gathered for a table read of the script on June 7, 2018 at 10:36 AM.@TheMammone. "Time flies.... @TheOrville table read for Identity Pt. 1&2 so much fun. @ScottGrimes sang and slayed the room.". Twitter. June 18, 2019. The most difficult aspect of filming was synchronizing the Kaylon's turn while they worked at the wall. "That was a big challenge," Cassar recalled. "We shot that many, many, many times to make sure they were completely in synch. There was no room for error.""The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. With 30 new actors portraying Kaylons,Director Jon Cassar gave this number in "The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)", Planetary Union Network (Feb. 23, 2019). However, he later reported the number of actors as 40. Sun - Main Stage | NYCC 2019 | SYFY WIRE. SyFy Wire. Oct. 6, 2019. actor Mark Jackson (Isaac) ended up teaching several classes on the Bridge of the OrvilleSun - Main Stage | NYCC 2019 | SYFY WIRE. SyFy Wire. Oct. 6, 2019. on how Kaylons walk, speak"The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. and move their hands- which Jackson derived from Roger on the show American Dad! The two best imitators were then given priority in shots, being placed closest to the camera."The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. To film Ty at the top of a Kaylon garbage chut, actor Kai Wener (Ty) was helped up the ladder by staff and wore a safety harness."The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. The Kaylon head-guns were added in post-production. Actors wore green tracking devices attached to the side of their helmets while filming.@TomCostantino. "Hey @scifi_source here’s your answer. Although after the first day the tracker wasn’t necessary. Photo and info via @megamanex @TheOrville #TheOrville @planetary_union @SethMacFarlane". Twitter. Feb. 22, 2019. The idea for the head-guns came from senior illustrator Lex Cassar."The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. Post-production Visual effects were created by the studios FuseFX and Pixomondo in coordination with the show's visual effects supervisor Luke McDonald and digital effects supervisor Brandon Fayette.Eun, Changsoo. "The Orville: FuseFX talks custom 3ds Max pipeline". The 3DS Max Blog. May 2, 2019.Seymour, Mike. "The Orville’s Battle of Identity at FuseFX". fxguide. March 4, 2019. Between this episode and Pt. 1, Pixomondo worked on 350 visual effects shots, 25 percent of the shots for the entire season.Seymour, Mike. "The VFX of The Orville- Season 2". fxguide. May 3, 2019. Deleted scene In a deleted scene, Lieutenant Dann makes very awkward small talk with Ed at Isaac's farewell party. The scene was cut for time.@TomCostantino. "Cut for time but not for fun. ��@SethMacFarlane @mikehenrybro #TheOrville". Twitter. Feb. 21, 2019. A video may be found on 20th Century Fox's official Orville Twitter page. Reception Viewership Immediately upon airing, Identity, Pt. 1 was hailed as a breakthrough episode for the series. It currently holds a rating of 9.4 on IMDB, nearly a full point higher than any preceding episode.Episode List. IMDB. Last accessed Feb. 25, 2019. However, the episode performed only average in terms of live audiences, watched live by 3.05 million American viewers. Critical response Professional critics also recognized Identity, Pt. 1 as a watershed moment. Alejandro Rojas of Den of Geek gave the episode four stars and called it "brilliant, hilarious, and hugely entertaining." He continued, "This was a great episode, and I look forward to seeing what happens." Jammer of Jammer's Reviews gave the episode 3.5 stars of four.Epsicokhan, Jamal. "Identity, Part I". Jammer's Reviews. Last accessed May 10, 2019. Nick Wanserski of AV Club reviewed the episode positively, calling it a "fantastic episode." Trivia * Outtakes and bloopers from this episode were compiled by the show's editors for the Season 2 wrap party and were published by the Planetary Union Network.THE ORVILLE SEASON 2 GAG REEL. Planetary Union Network. April 30, 2019. * Along with ''Identity, Pt. 2'', this episode was the original finale of Season 1. It was moved to Season 2 when the writers decided more character development would be necessary.Trekyards. Mark Jackson Isaac Orville Interview (Issac/Identity PT 1+2) (2019). YouTube. March 9, 2019. * Olix, played by Jason Alexander, can be spotted at Isaac's goodbye party. * Gordon sings "Goodbye" by the band Air Supply to Isaac. * The end of Isaac's farewell speech is from actress Sally Field's 1984 Oscar speech with some changes.Sally Field. Wikiquote. Last accessed Feb. 22, 2019. * Actor Mark Jackson (Isaac) was so thrilled with Isaac's character arc over the season, and especially in Identity, Pts. 1 ''and ''2, that after filming concluded on October 15, 2018,@joncassar. On the Fox backlot setting up the first shot of our last shooting day of season 2 on #TheOrville. Instagram. Oct. 15, 2018. he wrote a personal e-mail to the writing staff thanking them.Austin, Nicola. "Interview: Mark Jackson on The Orville Season 2". We Have a Hulk. Jan. 10, 2019. * Bolodon discs, the game the boys and Isaac play at the start of the episode, was a humorous nod to "3D Chess" from the Star Trek franchise."The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. ** There were no formal rules for the game, but a general sense of how the crew wanted the game to look. "Although... I'm sure some fan could do that for us," Cassar jokingly suggested."The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. * Actor Kai Wener (Ty Finn) actually drew the picture that Ty gave to Isaac./u/LoganBlade14. "Kai Wener drew the picture he gave to Isaac.". Reddit. Feb. 22, 2019. *Jackson taught several classes to the 30 actors portraying Kaylons on how to walk and speak like Isaac."The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. *The most difficult aspect of filming was synchronizing the Kaylon's turn while they worked at the wall. "That was a big challenge," Cassar recalled. "We shot that many, many, many times to make sure they were completely in synch. There was no room for error.""The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. *The grave tunnel was the same set as the cave in ''Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes''."The Orville Official Fan Podcast w/ Kai Wener and Jon Cassar (32)". Planetary Union Network. Feb. 23, 2019. *In the table read draft of this episode's script, a Kaylon character (performed by voice-over only) was present who was later removed. It is unknown what this excised character said. References *The Kaylon recall that Gordon stuck pieces on Issac's head while Ed counters that Isaac cut Gordon's leg off soon after. Both incidents occurred in Pria. *Isaac lied in Pria when he said that his eyelights are merely aesthetic, as they are the barrels of his gun turrets. Mistakes * When Isaac and Claire tell Ty and Marcus that they are dating, a blue lens on Isaac's shoulder light slips off. * Actor Norm Macdonald is listed in the episode credits as playing Yaphit, but the gelatinous Engineer does not appear. Cast Names and titles are as they appear in the credits unless otherwise noted. Actor Norm Macdonald is listed in the episode credits as playing Yaphit, but the gelatinous Engineer does not appear. Main cast * Seth MacFarlane as Capt. Ed Mercer * Adrianne Palicki as Cmdr. Kelly Grayson * Peter Macon as Lt. Cmdr. Bortus * J. Lee as Lt. Cmdr. John LaMarr * Jessica Szohr as Lt. Talla Keyali * Penny Johnson Jerald as Dr. Claire Finn * Scott Grimes as Lt. Gordon Malloy * Mark Jackson as Isaac Recurring cast * Graham Hamilton as Kaylon Primary * Robert David Grant as Kaylon Secondary * Jay Whittaker as Kaylon Tertiary * BJ Tanner as Marcus Finn * Kai Wener as Ty Finn * Victor Garber as Admiral Halsey * Mike Henry as Dann * Blesson Yates as Topa * Chad L. Coleman as Klyden Uncredited recurring cast * Jason Alexander as Olix See also * Season 2 DVD References 208